


dads be GRILLING

by Serial



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Everyone Is Alive, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Parent Tony Stark, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Summer Vacation, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-12-06 20:10:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18224861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serial/pseuds/Serial
Summary: "You think it's odd that I've grown to take care of him? That I'm parental?" Tony questioned, suddenly on the defense.Steve scoffed, his hands behind his back as he tied the apron on. "Are you kidding me?"





	dads be GRILLING

**Author's Note:**

> yes I am AWFUL at titles I know!! I might change it when a better title comes to me at 3 am as I'm trying to sleep.
> 
> I wrote most of this back in November, when I really wanted some warmth. Now that spring has started I finally got around to finishing this up! Please enjoy just a lil bit of fluff as the world warms around you, too!
> 
> EDIT 3-28-19 100 KUDOS?!?!?!? AHHH thank you guys!!!!!!

Are they done yet?" Peter asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

It was a beautiful summer day up at the Compound; nearly all of the Avengers were out on the lawn, sprawled across the grass or running through the sprinklers. The air smelled of sunscreen and grilling; the bright blue sky didn't have a cloud in sight. 

Tony prodded the hamburger patties with the tongs-spatula combo. "Not yet." He turned to look at Peter, pointing the tongs towards his kid. "I need you to go grab the cucumbers and the chips from the kitchen. Pietro got distracted by Clint's Nerf game halfway through helping us bring the sides down and we should set them up soon."

Peter saluted, and Tony waved him off, turning back to the grill, jumping as he realized Steve had stepped over. 

"Jeez, Steve, you trying to give me a heart attack?" He accused playfully.

"No, no," Steve said, but there was laughter coloring his tone. He reached for the spare rubber apron draped over one of the plastic chairs. "I came to relieve you of grill duties. Me and the boys are gonna be eating most of these anyway," Steve jutted his chin out over Tony's shoulder as he said "boys," and Tony turned to realize Peter was still standing there, eyes a-sparkle at being in the presence of Captain America. Tony rolled his eyes.

"I might as well be the one cooking most of them anyway," Steve continued. "Hi Peter," he wasn't able to dull the amusement in his voice. "How was school?" 

"It was good!" Peter all but shouted. Tony could almost see the rainbows of happiness bursting from his form. "I'm really excited to spend the break up here, though!" 

"I'm excited to train with you," Steve said, and Peter shifted from glowing to vibrating from excitement.

Before the boy could get started on an all-out rave, Tony took him by the shoulders and steered him round towards the Compound. "Chips and cucumbers. Go," he instructed before pushing him off, but not without dragging his fingers through Peter's unruly curls. 

"Okay!" Peter dashed for the Compound, eager to complete his quest. 

"The cucumbers are in the fridge!" Tony called as he turned back towards the grill. He halted halfway there, though, his head snapping back towards the Compound as he shouted, "Use the _doors,_ Parker!"

"Too late!" Peter called as he scrambled through the open window to the kitchen.

Tony rolled his eyes as he returned to the grill. He poked at one patty before offering the tongs to Steve, only to realize Steve was staring at him with the dopiest smile he'd ever seen.

"You are so good with him, Tony," Steve said sincerely, and for some reason that set Tony off.

"You think it's odd that I've grown to take care of him? That I'm parental?" Tony questioned, suddenly on the defense. 

Steve scoffed, his hands behind his back as he tied the apron on. "Are you kidding me?" 

A raised eyebrow and slight wave of the spatula indicated he was not, in fact, kidding him. 

Steve sighed. "Tony, you-" he paused, all 200 pounds of him looking apprehensive, even embarrassed. After a moment to plan out his words, he started again. "When I came out of the ice, you gave me a home. You could have sent me anywhere, let Fury relocate me somewhere or something. But you took me in. Natasha, too. Clint. The whole gang- even Thor had a room for when he stopped by!" Steve shook his head, smiling. "And that only continued with Wanda and the others. You might not have given us fatherly pats on the back or ruffled our hair, but you took care of us." Steve leveled his eyes with Tony's. "Parenthood is perfectly natural for you, Tony. I'm proud of you."

"Interesting," Tony hummed nonchalantly. Or rather, he was going for nonchalantly, but his voice came out choked up and tight with emotion. He who had only known a distant alcoholic father and a kindly but absent mother, who had latched on to the patient butler so tightly that he recreated the man in immortal 1s and 0s -- Tony Stark didn't have the best role models for parenthood. Even now, his emotional connections were rarely spoken aloud. But actions spoke louder than words, and even after everything, Tony cared a whole hell of a lot about his team, and now, his kid.

Tony cleared his throat. "Very nice of you to say." The statement came out as if run through a wood chipper, despite his practiced relaxed stance, one hand in his pocket and the other ardently clacking the tongs on his spatula.

Tony spoke his own language all his own, borne of young genius and even younger loneliness. 

Luckily, Steve Rogers was fluent in Tony Stark. 

Steve smiled, gentle hands prying the spatula from Tony's shaking hand. "I'll take over from here, Tony. You're letting the hamburgers burn."

**Author's Note:**

> Writing isn't something I share often -I write a lot but my big art thing I share is visual stuff (check out my paintings at stark-illustrates on tumblr, there's a LOT of Iron Dad)- so this is kind of new to me! Please let me know if there's any glaring errors in the story or how I've tagged it and such. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
